STACK #121 Nov 2015

GAMES

FEATURE

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ChoiceandEmpathy: ATelltale Masterclass byMarkAnkucic

T he idea of ‘choice’ in games has changed dramatically over the course of the medium’s history. Presently, choice in games normally translates to the ability to make decisions

as your choices affect their quality of life. Clementine, your ward from TheWalking Dead: Season One , is constantly exposed to the horrors of the new world of the dead, and your interactions with her

that will define your character as good or evil. More often than not, this leads to a simple altering of appearance or slight delineation in the narrative. It’s strange that choice has become such a narrow ideal, considering the first real taste of exploration in gaming was experienced through the text-based adventures of the 1970s with games like Colossal Cave Adventure and Zork. In a way, choice made a step backwards from being an integral part of expression of play, to an off-handed decision on whether to have a halo or horns. Then along cameTelltale. Telltale have been incredibly successful in a field that gaming hasn’t traditionally been very good at – the ability to tell a compelling story. Moreover, when you consider that ‘losing’ in games has almost no real consequence (aside from restarting), there’s been scarce motivation to truly care about the events that are taking place. At least, not until the finale or whenever your heartstrings are being manipulated by hackneyed events. Series like TheWalking Dead and TheWolf Among Us have revitalised the idea of choice and empathetic storytelling by masterfully merging the two with one simple move: Choice as the main gameplay mechanic. Your choices matter in every meaningful sense; affecting the course of events and actions taken during the series, as well as having a direct impact on characters you have become emotionally attached to. Not necessarily love or even like, but feel for.

character come down to how you want to prepare her for the future. Going easy when Clem made a mistake might mean she won’t take your warnings seriously, whereas being harsh might mean she is too afraid to tell you vital information at a later point. While the choice mechanic inTelltale games is what make them the leaders in this unique genre, a special mention must also go out to the scriptwriters and the voice actors for developing an enthralling narrative and bringing the characters to life, respectively. Telltale’s games are almost the antithesis of triple-A titles.There’s no ‘real’ gameplay to speak of, no mechanics to master, yet their big moments feel more epic (and personal) than Halo or CoD have ever managed to deliver.There’s a certain kind of energy and concentration demanded of players when they’re forced to react quickly to a decision about their use of torture in TheWolf Among Us ; it’s not mashing buttons to clear away enemies, it’s making a single click that’s completely focused on you, the player.That’s why an explosion has less impact than the fear and adrenaline experienced observing Clementine crawl away from the hands of a single zombie: it’s personal. And ultimately, that’s what makesTelltale’s games fun. A sense of personal involvement based on the decisions that you yourself make, surrounded by the friends you’ve won over and the people that you’ve wracked your brains and morals to help. For the first time in a long time, the ending screen feels less like you’ve finished a game, and more like you’ve gently closed a chapter on a part of your life.

Unlike its contemporaries,Telltale’s works don’t allow for the notions of safety or guarantee. In the Mass Effect series for example, interactions are mostly by the numbers, predictable with foreseeable consequences (and therefore avoidable). There is control in the proceedings, so there is little reason to fear or actively worry about your crew. In contrast, not knowing direction or possible outcomes makes events more immediate and unsafe; the concerns for your party becomes a reality. In a way,Telltale games have a stronger focus on the supporting characters than they do on the protagonist. This commitment extends to characters that players know are all but guaranteed to survive,

NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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